Democrats, GOP In Roseland Agree: 'No Compressor Expansion'

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Democratic and Republican candidates for Roseland’s town council have found common ground over a controversial gas pipeline station in Essex County.

Recently, Democrats Moose Trillo and George Meleas and Republicans Jean Perrotti and Aristotle Popolizio confirmed they are opposed to expansion at a Williams/Transco natural gas compressor station on Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland.

Oklahoma-based Williams began expansion at the station in 2016 as part of its Gateway Expansion Project, a larger effort to revamp the Transco interstate natural gas pipeline and provide additional service to New Jersey and New York. The project has seen vocal opposition from local activists, who have vowed to continue their fight against the energy giant despite federal and state approval of the project.

Activists have accused the facility of being a ticking environmental time bomb. Williams/Transco has disputed their allegations, claiming that the expansion is safe and is needed to help provide New Jersey with more than half of its natural gas.

• See related article: Controversial Essex County Pipeline Station Gets Key Permits

Last week, Roseland Against the Compressor Station (RACS) – which has been protesting expansion at the station – announced that no matter what the election results are this November, the winning candidates in Roseland will be in their corner.

According to the coalition of activists, each of the four candidates agreed with the following statement:

“I oppose the expansion of the gas compressor station on Eagle Rock Avenue and call upon Governor Phil Murphy to support an emergency moratorium on all new fossil fuel projects, including this one in Roseland.”

“It’s rare in today’s polarized political atmosphere that all Democrats and all Republicans for political office agree on something, but it is happening in Roseland,” said Ted Glick, co-founder of RACS.

“We applaud candidates Trillo, Meleas, Perrotti and Popolizio for this action that they have all taken, and we look forward to working with them and current members of the Roseland Borough government no matter what the results are on Nov. 5,” Glick said.

The general election will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in New Jersey. Voters who need to find their local polling place can visit the New Jersey Division of Elections website.

• See related article: When New Jersey Democrats, GOP Agree (Going Beyond Blue And Red)

‘THE SCIENCE IS CLEAR’: ACTIVISTS

Activists' outcries have caused some local governments, such as the Roseland Borough Council and Livingston Town Council to call for DEP hearings on the proposed station. Other local government bodies that have expressed concern about the pipeline expansion include the town councils in Nutley and Bloomfield, and the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Attorney Carolyn Elefant, a Livingston native, said if the 33,000-horsepower addition is built and goes into operation, the compressor station will be larger than 97 percent of the gas compressor stations in the country.

According to RACS:

“The gas pushed along by this compressor travels through a 60-year-old pipeline going through 16 other New Jersey towns after leaving Roseland. If the new compressor is operated at full capacity, it would more than double the amount of gas going through this old pipeline, leading to more leakage and increased danger of explosions and fires.”

Williams/Transco spokespeople have challenged activists’ allegations about the safety of the station and the proposed upgrade.

"Station 303 is an electric motor-driven compressor station, therefore, there are no emissions from natural gas combustion associated with compression," spokesperson Chris Stockton previously stated. "The Transco pipeline has been safely operating in this area for decades, and the pipe in this area consists of both class 3 and 4 pipe, which is the highest pipeline design class standard established by U.S. DOT code."

Stockton said it's important to note that station 303's horsepower addition will not result in an increase to the main pipeline's current operating pressure. In addition, the pipe will continue to be monitored 24/7 and will be "regularly tested" to validate its integrity.

Stockton previously told Patch:

• "The project minimizes impacts to landowners and the environment by increasing the utilization of existing pipeline infrastructure, rather than constructing new greenfield pipe."
• "Virtually all of the project activities are within existing rights of way and/or property boundaries."

Activists haven’t been appeased by the company’s statements, however.

“The science is clear,” said Cassandra Worthington, a Roseland resident and the North Jersey organizer with Food & Water Action. “We cannot build new fossil fuel projects that will dump carbon into our atmosphere for three or four decades to come.”

Worthington said the fight is “very personal” to her.

“The compressor [station] is about 2,000 feet from my home,” Worthington said. “We already had a huge gas blow down in 2013, and the elementary school was evacuated. We need Governor Murphy to keep his promises and stop all new dangerous pipelines, compressors and power plants.”

• See related article: No Jail For Essex County Activists Arrested At Pipeline Protest

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com